Deerlands Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel safe and secure, as they skip confidently into the nursery that they are incredibly proud of attending. Children's well-being is promoted with tailored settling-in processes. A robust key-person system is in place, ensuring children build strong and nurturing attachments with staff from the start. Because staff know them so well, they ensure children have access to their favourite resources to help them settle seamlessly as they transition through the nursery.

Staff create environments that are inviting and stimulating and support all areas of learning. Children enjoy trips in the local community and forest school that is on site, as well as daily play outside in the nursery garden. Staff have good knowledge of how children learn. They embed a curriculum that supports sequenced learning effectively through interesting activities and experiences that they plan for children. For example, toddlers have fun manipulating dough and using tools to make pretend pancakes. This helps to strengthen their fingers and small muscles in their hands to support their early writing skills.

Staff are excellent role models and speak to children with genuine kindness and respect. During minor disputes, staff gently remind children to take turns and to be kind. Children copy staff's positive actions and frequently play cooperatively with their peers.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Staff implement robust and effective monitoring and assessments to identify what children need to learn next and share these with parents. Collaborative working ensures any gaps in children's learning and development are identified swiftly. Appropriate support is provided so all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), continually make good progress. However, at times, staff do not consistently challenge children to extend their learning even further to achieve their next steps.
• Staff follow children's lead and interests to support their development. For example, toddlers develop core muscles and strength in their legs as they learn to push the ride-on rocking horse by themselves. Staff provide enthusiastic praise, and toddlers show they are developing their self-esteem as they clap their achievements. Staff extend their speech and language development by singing familiar songs. Toddlers attempt to say familiar words to songs while enjoying rocking back and forth.
• The dedicated management team plays an active and integral role in all aspects of the day-to-day running of the nursery. They provide the utmost support to staff, children and their families. Staff say they feel fully supported through supervision and training opportunities and that their well-being is prioritised.
• Children learn the necessary skills they need to be ready for school, such as taking turns, sharing, independence and listening to instructions. Children benefit from one-to-one time with staff, which means they receive tailored teaching and support. For example, children quickly master their cutting skills as staff patiently sit alongside them and guide them on how to use scissors to cut paper successfully.
• Parents applaud the professionalism and support given by the management team and staff. Parents express high levels of trust that their children are continuously well cared for and happy. Parents appreciate in-depth daily communication about their child's day and progress. Children eagerly choose a story and matching activities from the lending library, which parents say helps extend their children's learning at home.
• Consideration is made by staff to incorporate all languages used by families in their homes. Staff use Makaton sign language effectively, which enhances children's communication skills. Staff ask children questions throughout their engagement with them and often introduce new vocabulary. However, staff do not consistently provide opportunities for children to communicate their own ideas and make meaningful connections to new words they hear.
• Children's artwork and pictures of themselves are beautifully displayed on the walls, giving them an enormous sense of belonging. Staff value children's unique opinions and views. For example, children share their thoughts of what kindness means to them during a fun craft activity to create a 'kindness rainbow'. As a result, children frequently display acts of kindness and show they understand the importance of being respectful and kind to others.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop their already good teaching and interactions so that children consistently receive higher levels of challenge in their learning
• help staff develop the use of questioning to support children's thinking skills and help them to recall and use new vocabulary meaningfully.